Chapter 80.3 – The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love

Chapter 80.3: Tower of God: Gnome Ruins

When Du Ze and Xiu once again set foot on the street of the Gnome Ruins, it was already the third day of the gnome race’s trial. Whenever Du Ze saw any furry object, it was like looking at a landmine. Even when he saw a mechanical puppet that didn’t have any fur but smelled like oil, Du Ze would shed tears.

Xiu quickly dispatched the mechanical puppets that tried to attack them. The one to four star mechanical puppets were easily overcome and were reduced into their component parts whenever they fought the Moe Lord.

Du Ze looked at Xiu’s back and at the fallen mechanical puppets. He recalled the first time they met a mechanical puppet on the reverse side of the continent. At that time, even a one star mechanical puppet caused them a lot of trouble but now, Xiu can easily take down even the five star mechanical puppets.

They had traveled together for such a long time that he hadn’t realized until now that the Moe Lord had become so powerful.

Du Ze’s heart jumped a little and he felt a sweet yet bitter pain. This was like watching a child grow up. The child’s first stumbling steps have turned into a confident walk. He is proud and happy about it but he is in the same position as all guardians are – when the child is all grown up, it is then time to take their leave.

“These mechanical puppets are so annoying.”

Du Ze was abruptly grabbed by Xiu. He hurriedly held on to Xiu’s shoulder, only to hear the beastkin with the round lion ears happily say: “Hold on tight, we will go faster.”

“…!”

Du Ze didn’t have time to reply before a strong kinetic energy made his upper body stick to Xiu’s back. Their bodies crashed together with a “pa” sound. Xiu, carrying Du Ze, ran into a shadow. Whenever he saw a mechanical puppet, Xiu would use the terrain to jump and disappear before he was within the mechanical puppets’ range of action, making the puppets unable to gather information about them.

All Du Ze could see was Xiu’s floating tail as he was jolted. The beastkin’s speed and movement was more exciting than a rollercoaster. Just as he was about to faint, Xiu finally arrived at a circular plaza. Once they were at the plaza, the mechanical puppets no longer pursued them. Xiu put the dizzy Du Ze down, who staggered a bit before regaining his balance. Now that the world was no longer spinning, Du Ze recognized that this was the “Foundation” plaza.

Old John once told him that if there was a treasure in the Gnome Ruins that the people outside would covet, he was afraid that it would be the cache of materials in the “Foundation” plaza. The gnome race collected raw materials from the whole continent and put it in the “Foundation” plaza, grading them by their quality.

The gnomes could take materials based on their star rating, including many S quality materials which the outside world coveted.. Du Ze saw the material exchange machine in the middle of the plaza but it was obviously not functional since it was missing a piece. Du Ze stared at the gap in the machine. He ransacked his memories of machine parts and suddenly realized something.

Isn’t that the big machine part that you saw in the iron gnome’s hand a few days ago?!

In retrospect, Rachel said: “We had to gather mechanical parts to activate a plaza.”

The Tower of God’s requirement is easy to understand.

Xiu’s memory of that day was not clear but after Du Ze told him about it, he immediately went to fetch the machine part from the “Kingdom” plaza. Du Ze, who Xiu always equipped, was honored once again to sit on that roller coaster. Xiu got the missing piece and the dizzy Du Ze watched as Xiu placed it in its proper place in the “Foundation” plaza.

The machine was activated in a flash. It made a humming sound then the whole plaza seemed to come alive as the electric circuit pattern on the ground lit up. Du Ze walked slowly to Xiu’s side. He found the Moe Lord staring at the newly activated material exchange machine, deep in thought.

When he saw Du Ze come over to him, Xiu reached out and took his own silly, cute person in his arms, tangling him up with his tail, too. Leaning against Du Ze, he shifted his sight from the machine to the mechanical puppets wandering the streets then, finally, looked around at the entire Gnome Ruins.

Du Ze could not help but praise the Tower of God for its professional behavior. The simulation was this precise – no, he should have expected it. When it comes to Xiu, the Tower of God is completely unprincipled, indulgent, and eccentric. The entire gnome trial is now like a walk in the park for gnome form Xiu!

Previously, the elf trial came to an abrupt halt when the Tree of Life revolted. This time, the Moe Lord just has to open his mouth and the mechanical puppets will carry out his every wish – the entire Gnome Ruins has completely become his domain!

Du Ze looked at the little Xiu who was giving orders to the giant mechanical puppets to help him carry things. He wanted to cover his face to hide his expression.

Although they have been separated from Rachel and the others, Du Ze thought it wouldn’t be a problem for Xiu to finish this trial even though the Moe Lord had to carry a noob with him. Right now they had reached the “Splendour” plaza where there was a star-level authentication machine. This was where gnomes go to get their star certifications. They simply had to bring their work with them and their star rating will be upgraded. As before, the machine lacked an important part.

The other tower climbers will have to find a six-star mechanical puppet and defeat it to get the needed part. However, for a gnome – do they even need to look for the part? They can just make it.

Xiu almost emptied the “Foundation” plaza of all its usable materials. A long line of mechanical puppets followed him, carrying the materials. He was like a queen who went shopping with his faithful housekeeper and servants carrying his shopping bags. In fact, Xiu can even order those six-star mechanical puppets to kill themselves so he can get the parts he needs but Xiu turned into his gnome form to make the parts to prepare for the Final BOSS fight.

Rachel said, “The whole city, the place where we stood… was an eight-star mechanical puppet.”

Du Ze looked at Xiu. The flaxen-haired gnome was holding a screwdriver in his slender and weak-looking hands, but those were hands that could overcome the eight-star mechanical puppet – with just a few small tricks, everything will be just right.

In less than half a day’s time, Xiu fixed the star-level authentication machine. After that, he was in no hurry to leave but instead made a small machine and raised his certification to seven stars.

A seven-star rating is the highest level. With it, a gnome can not only command any public mechanical puppets seven stars and below, but can also get any material he wants from the “Foundation” plaza. Du Ze and Xiu returned to the “Foundation” plaza and borrowed the most advanced materials. Xiu spent five days to make a seven-star, human-type mechanical puppet.

“The next time we see Old John,” said Xiu as he was debugging the mechanical puppet, “I can give him a new body.”

Du Ze nodded his head. During the beastkin trial, they were accidentally separated and Old John’s body had been halved. They did not know where Old John was now. Each checkpoint will close after the leader passes through so generally Xiu was the last to enter the portal or went together with everyone. At that time, they did not leave together so it’s possible that Old John and the others were trapped in the beastkin simulation and can only wait for the next group that passes the trial and that would be willing to take them along through the exit portal.

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Translator’s Notes:

I hope everyone had fun reading the last scene.*nosebleeding intensifies* 🍌

Can someone at least leave a comment here about it here ? I mean, I want some feedback. What did you think of the barbs? What about the pulling tail scene?

What about that time when Du Ze was “eaten” by Xiu?

“The beastkin’s golden eyes were shiny and he was like a big puppy running around his master excitedly, acting like a spoiled child.” – So fluffy!

I’m glad Xiu is going to fix Old John and even upgrade his body. Hooray!

well maybe he fell in coma after that long night of fighting, that´s why then he tooka day in coma, and in the third day they tour the gnomes city, after he changed again and fall in another coma? ahahahahahh I love how he use his tail to keep close Du Ze

It’s little things like Xiu building a new body for Old John that remind you that he’s not as blackened as he thinks he is. Look Du Ze, what a good Xiu you’ve raised, he takes care of his people! Thanks for the chapter!!

True, very true. BTW, if you remember, in the novel Xiu and Old John never met because Old John’s power source ran out in the original plot. Du Ze changed the sequence of events so they arrived at the Gnome Ruins three years ahead of the original plot when Old John hadn’t run out of power yet. 🙂

The tail scene? I just thought that it actually should be ticklish and uncomfortable 😅 and why the tail is not ‘wet’ in that healthy education, idk bout that 😂 and also the barbs, seems like Du Ze said that it wasn’t painful so I just assume that it was fine 😂

And uh, “they must have skipped a healthy education since tail was involved before that..stingy, not share” lol

Yeah I’m glad that old jhon will get a new body….I was really sad to read that he was halved in the previous trial…😃
On another note I wanna ride beast xiu rollercoaster too😣 it sounds like so much fun😆
Thank you for translating this wonderful chapter 😘

A seven-star rating is the highest level. With it, a gnome can not only command command << wrote 'command' twice.

I know that I'm not running around for my life and all, but my first thought was that DZ should have made X turn into a gnome asap! Both to avoid getting sexed up (or maybe he wanted to haha) and to avoid having to fight so much!

I‎https://m.facebook.com/pg/natsulovey/posts/ don’t Usually comment on novels (I mean NEVER) But I’ll do it for you. I reread the chapter and I couldn’t stop squeeling , Xiu was soo cute, this is my second favorite scene in this novel, the first is the elf one. I can’t wait for the shota gnome and his toys.

Lol, it’s a day later because Xiu changed race again. I liked that You had enough sanity not to hurt ou little DuZe with his barbs…. barbs, enough said. ~goes into the corner with tissues stuck up the nose~ Don’t mind me over here.

I left a comment in ainushi (the smut always varied cos Xiu is a mixed blood, it’s actually quite nice, lol) so I’m gonna comment about how glad I am that Xiu remember Old John, i hope OJ is okay and Xiu can upgrade him.. It’s because OJ is a lonely (before met Xiu) and super loyal puppet that i grew fond of him and will be sad if he got abandoned again.. 😅, and where’s Chirp? I miss the bird too.. 😄

Honestly, I was not expecting the barbs. Because I forgot that Xiu is like a lion and not a wolf/dog, I thought Du Ze was going to take a knot up his ass lmao XD

But out of all the forms, I love the beast form the most. 😍😍😍
Elf is beautiful as well as dragon, but there’s something exciting about the beast form that the others don’t have.
I think it’s the red hair. I’m a sucker for red heads.

I don’t think I know how to feel about the barbs. They were kinda… ok I guess? Definitely not weirder than the tentacle part.
The tail and the petting parts 10/10 tho, would recommend(?
Sorry I love cats, so fluffy >-<
Anyway thanks for the hard work and have a nice day.
-A Phantom Reader.

I liked the other snu snu but seriously, beastkin snu snu was the best. Thanks for the hard work! I can’t believe it’s almost the end! It seemed like just yesterday I was squealing over a kiss with a skeleton and now the countdown to the end has begun.